The General Board of Global Ministries offers free space (up to 5 megabytes) on its web server to United Methodist churches. This offer includes providing each group with an account that gives it access to its own sub directory through FTP and an e-mail address. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is just a way to send files from your computer to the computer hosting your site.

DOMAIN NAMES

When you host your site with GBGM, the address or URL for your site looks like this: "www.gbgm-umc.org/yourchurch." If you want a more specific name that is easier for people to remember, services like Dotster charge about $20 per year to register a customized name and forward it to the GBGM address.

RESOURCES

The GBGM site provides extensive help to get your website up and running. Be sure to visit their section on Creating Church Web Pages.

E-zekiel provides Web hosting and templates for easy creation of dynamic-looking Web sites.

Don't Make Me Think, Steve Krug. This practical book is a simple read that explains how to create a fresh, easy-to-use Web site.